Meat Standards Australia sets new beef record

NORTH SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA — During the 2008-09 financial year, approximately 1 million cattle were graded through the Meat Standards Australia program (M.S.A.), which is a new record for the program. Producers who participated were a major beneficiary from the expansion with average premiums of up to 16 cents a kilogram paid in some categories, according to Meat & Livestock Australia.

The results were tangible evidence of the program achieving greater industry and consumer acceptance said Michael Crowley, M.L.A.’s manager M.S.A. "Achieving these sorts of premiums is proof consumers and the industry are putting their money where the mouth is — guaranteed eating quality is a benefit many see as worth paying extra for," Mr. Crowley said.

The grading total for the 2008-09 year increased by 16.7% over the previous year, equaling to an increase of 140,387 to 979, 228 head.

"Also encouraging has been producer registrations increasing over the last two years, with an additional 2,904 registrations in 2007-08 and 2,787 producers in 2008-09, " Mr. Crowley said. "This is reflective of the price incentive for producers that has been commercially pulled through from processors and customers further down the supply chain."